Tokyo, 27–28 April 2023: The Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) made a vital contribution to shaping policy recommendations for the upcoming Group of Seven (G7) Hiroshima Summit, as experts convened at the Think7 (T7) Japan Summit in Tokyo on 27–28 April 2023.  The summit focused on addressing crises, reigniting sustainable development, bridging the G7 and Group of 20 (G20), and addressing global issues such as greening of the G7 economies, barriers to development and prosperity in the Global South, gender and growth, and science and digitalisation for a better future.

T7 is the official think tank engagement group of the G7. Global think tank experts, in coordination with the G7 presidency, develop research-based policy recommendations for consideration by G7 countries and partners. The Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI) is chairing this year’s T7 as part of Japan’s G7 presidency. ERIA Chief Economist Prof Fukunari Kimura serves as a member of T7’s Advisory Committee.

The summit, hosted by ADBI, comprised 12 sessions with 57 speakers covering the thematic areas of development and economic prosperity; well-being; environmental sustainability and just transition; science and digitalisation for a better future; and peace, security, and global governance.

In his opening remarks, Prof Tetsushi Sonobe, Dean of ADBI, highlighted the role of think tanks as out-of-box thinkers and knowledge brokers of scientific evidence for leveraging the network of research institutes.

Keynote remarks were delivered by Japan’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs Kenji Yamada and Japan’s Vice Minister of Finance for International Affairs Masato Kanda. They discussed the measures that promote greater collaboration between G7 and the Global South and called for bridging G7 and G20, underscoring the importance of the approaches in tackling shared challenges. 

Dr Venkatachalam Anbumozhi, ERIA’s Director of Research Strategy and Innovations, delivered a panel presentation and discussion on well-being and Agenda 2023, where he discussed the global dimensions of micro, small, and medium-scaled enterprises as nurseries of well-being and their critical role in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially poverty alleviation, decent work and economic growth, and innovations for green solutions. He stressed the need for new economic growth measurements to strengthen SDGs.

The gathered experts issued the Think7 Japan Communiqué, which outlines research-based policy recommendations, emphasising G7’s engagement with developing countries to face shared challenges. The communiqué also details a new G7–G20 dashboard design to help assess the impacts of G7 and G20 decisions and facilitate policy development. The communiqué was handed over to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who will submit the recommendations to the G7 Hiroshima Summit on 19–21 May 2023. The communiqué can be downloaded at https://www.think7.org/publication/think7-japan-communique/.